Vol. 10 No. 16
THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2013
PROTECT what’s IMPORTANT
AFFORDABLE HOME SECURITY
SkyviewElectronics.com
YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER COVERING NORTH DURHAM
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Home & Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Diamonds for sale in Uxbridge?
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Island tax issues come to Council
DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard
UXBRIDGE: What’s in a name? It may be a way to raise funds to boost township coffers independent of taxpayers according to Ward 4 Councillor Jacob Mantle, after the question was raised by the President of the Uxbridge Youth Baseball Association at council’s meeting on Monday, April 15. In a letter to council, UYBA President Ian Weir requested that the Arena Diamond be renamed to Quaker Field. “Renaming the diamond will be beneficial for both our House League and our Select teams,” Mr. Weir said in his letter. “The existing name evokes an image of a diamond next to the Arena, and is of secondary importance. The name Quaker Field is a strong name which reflects the character of the diamond.” The move got immediate support from members of council praising the selection of the name in proximity to nearby Quaker Village subdivision, Quaker Village Public School and Quaker Hill, as well as invoking Uxbridge’s heritage. “It think it’s a great idea,” said Ward 2 Councillor Pat Molloy. “It really identifies where the diamond is, and differentiates it from the arena and its a perfect fit with the name of other things close by.” However, the new moniker may not be taking the field in time for the UYBA’s Opening Day House League Tournament on Saturday, June 1 after speculation arose about the naming process for the Kennedy House lands, located at the corner of Ball Rd. and Main St. N.
JULIE COLBY*
BLAKE WOLFE The Standard
REMEMBERING VIMY: Lorn Shaw, a World War II veteran who served in the South Pacific, takes part in the remembrance ceremony for the soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting for our country in the battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917. The ceremony is an annual event put together by Legion Branch 419 of Port Perry. It takes place on April 9, at 11 a.m. at the Port Perry cenotaph at the Scugog Township Offices. BENJAMIN PRIEBE The Standard The Kennedy House lands - which also once housed St. John Training School - are already home to the township’s soccer fields and newly constructed skate park and are slated to be home to the proposed Aquatic Centre, tentatively scheduled to open in 2015 or 2016. As the town-
ship’s current, and future, home to recreation facilities, a committee is currently working towards narrowing down a list of possible names for the sprawling facility that better reflects Uxbridge’s character. TURN TO PAGE 2
SCUGOG: A well-attended presentation on property tax rates for Scugog Island property owners this week failed to spur local councillors into actions requested by the speaker, including a rezoning of the ward from residential to farmland based on what was deemed an unfair tax rate for constituents. Scugog Island resident Don Kett, of the Islanders Tax Relief Action Committee, appeared before council this past Monday evening (April 15), outlining the concerns of his neighbours over the amount paid in annual property taxes versus the amenities and services provided to the area. Mr. Kett, who ran unsuccessfully for the Ward 3 council seat in the 2010 municipal election, requested Councillor Jim Howard, who represents the Island, to make a motion that would bring about a proposed zoning change – from residential to farmland – that Mr. Kett believed would result in a reduced tax rate for the community, citing a precedent set by the City of Kawartha Lakes in a similar scenario. The motion did not materialize, however, with another put forth by Councillor Howard – to create a committee to look into taxation issues from a township-wide perspective – defeated by a lack of support from fellow councillors. A similar motion put forth by Ward 1 Councillor Larry Corrigan, to establish a committee to examine the Island tax issue with the assistance of municipal staff, was also grounded. In his presentation, which followed a March meeting for Island residents on the same issues, Mr. Kett outlined the concerns of the community, among them a lack of natural gas connections for Island residences, the presence of only one access road, and the absence of such amenities as streetlights, sidewalks and indoor recreation facilities present in other Scugog communities. “For the extra taxes that we pay,” said Mr. Kett, “we get substandard roads and we have no sidewalks on the island…. There are families that have been on the island since confederation. It seems to be a place where you go and stay.” TURN TO PAGE 3
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